It is the ultimate stage where reputations can be forged before the biggest audience — and some of the World Cup's young stars have already risen to the occasion.
Jude Bellingham and Desire Doue are well known to many around the world, but other rising stars have quickly shone in the tournament's opening round of fixtures.
Here are six less widely known players, aged 22 or under, who have hit the ground running.
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The 18-year-old looked like he had played at this level for decades at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. Undaunted by the reputation of his opponents, at times Bouaddi ran the midfield and seemed to get stronger as the game wore on.
How Morocco fans must be thanking their lucky stars that the teenager, who had captained France's Under-21s, decided to switch international allegiance just a month ago.
Supporters of his club Lille may have watched with bittersweet feelings, as this underlining of his vast potential will only encourage suitors this summer.
He learned under Harry Kane at Bayern Munich, and his celebration on Saturday showed he has watched some of Tim Cahill's highlights too — but Nestory Irankunda is ready to create his own legacy at this World Cup.
Irankunda's incredible story — a Burundian refugee born in Tanzania whose family settled in South Australia — is matched by promise on the field. He has pace to burn as he showed against the ageing Turkey defence, combined with an unerring eye for goal that would have had former Bayern team-mate Kane nodding in approval.
He is ambitious, too. Irankundaleft left Bayern to ensure playing time elsewhere and is honing his craft in the EFL Championship at Watford. It meant Tony Popovic was convinced he was ready for the Socceroo squad this summer, and it already looks like a smart decision.
(Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
His evening might have ended in discomfort, limping from the pitch with cramp in his calves, but everything before that was bursting with positivity for Ben Gannon-Doak.
The Bournemouth midfielder was Scotland's creative outlet in a 1-0 win over Haiti in Group C. He played his part in the few opportunities they created — a Scott McTominay shot and John McGinn's eventual goal — and the 20-year-old wore his heart on his sleeve by even celebrating a goal kick with passion.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke will be relieved the former Liverpool academy star is fit to continue where he left off when the Scots face a sterner test against Morocco on Friday.
Gannon-Doak is a character too, and may be the joker in the pack of Clarke's squad. In the build-up to the Morocco game, he admitted he needed to be substituted against Haiti, saying: “I was needing (to be) hooked. Both my calves decided to leave the stadium before me. I was more than happy to get my backside on a chair.â€
It took only seven minutes for Yasin Ayari to announce his talent to this tournament. Close observers of Sweden will recall him starring in the UEFA play-off final win over Poland that secured his side's ticket to North America. Premier League fans may have noted his displays at Brighton.
But to neutrals, his ability for the spectacular was there for all to see against Tunisia, the nation of his father's birth.
The midfielder seized on a ball punched from the Tunisian area, took one touch and then unleashed a venomous shot that curled into the net. For good measure, he scored his side's final goal in added time too.
So this is what the hype is all about.
Master-dribbler Yan Diomande's World Cup bow did not disappoint, with the 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger dictating the game for much of the second half in Philadelphia. Piero Hincapie impressed at Arsenal last season, but he had his hands full with the Ivorian, who has the highest take-on success rate of any winger in Europe.
Diomande created the most chances (five) in the game, and had the most touches (12) in the opposition box of any player, according to Opta. No wonder big European sides, such as Liverpool, are watching closely, and why Leipzig value him at €130million (£112.4m, $151.2m).
Watching him flourish in this tournament is going to be fun.
They left it very late in Toronto, but Ghana eventually found a way past Panama in added time, and it was their exciting midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi who delivered.
The 20-year-old plays for Nordsjaelland in Denmark after developing at the Right to Dream Academy in his homeland. Yirenkyi's capacity to cover ground, break up play and distribute the ball has already earned comparisons to Michael Essien. Ghana think he can develop into a dynamic ball-winner who can anchor multiple midfield systems for years to come.
Against Panama on Thursday, Yirenkyi made the difference in the 95th minute, after a standout performance when he completed the game's most dribbles.
